Angel In Disguise
by EliteDragonSlayer
Summary: FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FANFICTION IS WORKING!!!!!!!!!!!! i've added to this and finished Unexpected Ally. YEAH!!!!!!!!!
1. Heaven Meets Hell

  
  
  
  
*Angel~in~Disguise*   
  
Dilandau looked around the damp building.   
"Pathetic. These people are hardly worth target practice, let alone new recruits.  
I can't believe that Folken made me come down HERE for a new Dragon Slayer." Walking down the hall, he watched as many of the people in the cells cringed at   
the sight of him. He then detected a voice coming from the end of the hallway.   
"Like hell I'm going with you! I know what my job will be and it won't be a handmaiden!! Let GO!!!" He walked down the hall until he came to a cell with   
many people in front of it. Several men were trying to get a woman who seemed   
more or less his age into one of the cells. They managed to get her inside at last.   
She yanked out of one man's grip, slammed her elbow into another's stomach, and bitch-slapped the other across the face. When she was free, she broke for the door.  
But the manager slammed the door in her face. She slammed into the door and  
rattled the bars. "Let me out!! I'm sick of being in here!!! Let me GO!!"She   
backed away as the door finally opened and the manager walked in with a needle.   
"Oh God, please, don't do that. Don't-no stay away. Please, I'll shut-up now. No  
wait." She backed into a corner, then bolted at the last second. The man grabbed   
her by the arm and glared at the men outside the cell.  
"Don't just stand there!" he snapped. They came in and helped get her to her   
knees. "Let. Me. GO!!!!" *She definately has fire, interesting.* He watched   
as the man shoved the needle into her back, causing her to cry out, then go limp in  
his arms. He layed her down on the bed then left the cell.   
  
Dilandau entered the Vione and headed to his room. He was stopped by Folken   
standing at the door.   
"Did you find anything you liked?" Dilandau looked at him blankly, then walked   
away.   
"Not much choice there. How do you expect me to find anything decent?" Folken watched him leave.  
"He's hiding something."   
  
*The~next~day*   
Dilandau looked around the cells. *Where is she?!* He thought bitterly. Suddenly   
he heard struggling and turned to see her being shoved back into her cell by the boss.  
"Maybe that'll teach you some manners." He snapped as she stumbled to her knees.   
He slammed the door and stalked off. She turned and started to stand, giving   
Dilandau a clear view of her back, which was badly cut. He could see 7 seperate,   
slice-like wounds on her back. *Good God...How'd that happen I wonder.* She   
touched her back, studied the blood on her fingers, then wiped it off. *She must   
have been whipped for misbehaving.*   
She wrapped her arms around her chest with a sigh. She heard the clicking of   
boots against the floor and whipped around to see a soldier standing by her door. If   
she were a cat, her ears would have been flattened, her teeth would have been bared,   
and she'd be hissing.  
"What do YOU want?" She snapped quietly. He laughed and walked over to the   
door. Taking out his sword, he broke the lock and walked into the cell. She started   
to quickly back away. "Get away from me." She said, anger in her voice. He smirked,   
and started towards her. She glanced around, obviously looking for an exit. When she didn't find any, she glared at him again. "What do you want?!" He laughed again   
and walked right up to her, then unexpectantly brushed a piece of her hair out of her   
face. She flinched at the sudden movement and looked up at him, confused. He studied   
the many brusies and cuts on her arms and throat.   
"No wonder they call you "the hellion of the group", you've taken all this beating   
and still stand tall. That means you're exactly what I'm looking for." Her eyes   
narrowed.   
"And what would that be?" She asked cautiously. He pulled away and headed to the door.  
"You'll find out soon enough." He said simply, heading to the head man's room.  
4 hours later, she was standing on the balcony of a huge ship. She was facinated by   
the size of it. "Now." said Dilandau harshly, snapping her out of her shocked state.   
"Just because you're a woman, doesn't mean you'll be treated any differently. I expect   
you t treat everyone on this ship with respect, do what you're told, when you're told   
without objection, and you are to address everyone with a higher rank then you as   
'-sama'. Is that clear?" She swallowed hard and nodded. "Good." Folken walked  
down towards them just then and looked at her in shock, then at Dilandau, clearly confused.  
"Is this woman the new Dragon Slayer?" He asked, startled. Dilandau just raised an eyebrow. Folken took this as a yes. "Does she know how to handle a sword?"  
"Why don't you ask her that yourself?" He asked bitterly. Folken looked down at her,   
an emotion in his eyes that she couldn't read.  
"Can you?" She felt anger building up inside her.   
"Of COURSE I-" Her shout was cut short by her clenching her teeth together to keep the cry inside her when Dilandau slammed his boot down onto her foot.   
"Manners!" He hissed quietly, clearly irritated at her foolishness. She closed her eyes until he lifted his boot, then looked up at Folken again.  
"Yes Folken-sama, I can." He didn't react to this at all. Instead, he turned and left. Dilandau turned to her, anger flaring in his scarlet eyes.  
"Don't you EVER do that again. All the Dragon Slayers are to treat Folken with respect." *What does he mean by Dragon Slayers? Is that what I'm going to be? Will   
I actually have to slay dragons?* She sighed.  
"Yes, Dilandau-sama." Dilandau calmed down again. (Or whatever you call the   
stage where Dilandau isn't preparing to cut someone's head off.)   
"I still don't know your name. Tell me, what is it?"  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I am having trouble deciding what her name should   
be. I have narrowed my choices down to 3. Tell me which   
one you like the best:  
a)Alex  
b)Kao  
c)Li  
  
Thanx alot!!!   
Dark Angel ^_~ 


	2. Moonlit Murders

*Angel~In~Disguise~2*  
  
  
  
  
"It's Kali." She said, favoring her now throbbing foot.  
  
"Kali. It fits you." He turned, either not noticing, or ignoring the blush that had risen across her face. *Doesn't Kali mean 'dark goddess'?* "Follow me. You won't join the regular schedule until tomorrow, when you've settled in."   
  
After a while, they came to a stop outside a door that Dilandau opened for her. "This is where you'll be staying. Curfew is 11:30, training is at 9:00 in the morning, breakfast is at 8:00.   
You're late for anything, you'll be punished immediantly and severely." He then turned and walked away. She was surprised at this last line, but forgot about it it and started to explore her room.  
  
  
  
  
"What is Lord Dilandau thinking?!" Dalet hissed. "What is he getting at, letting a woman join the Dragon Slayers!? It's unheard of! Does he really think that a woman can-" ~!!CRACK!!~ "HEY!! MigUUEELL!!!! What was THAT for?!" He demanded as Miguel struck him over the head without even looking up as he was sharpening his sword.  
  
"As much as I agree about the woman joining, I don't ever want to hear you say anything degrading about Lord Dilandau again!!" He snapped quietly. Dalet glared at him, rubbing the side of his face.  
  
"You're almost as bad as Lord Dilandau."   
  
  
  
  
Kali walked out of the connected bathroom and over to her bed where some servants had layed out an outfit for her. She picked it up and looked it over. The handmadiens had given her a sleek, pale blue, silk dress with a V-neck and matching gloves. It was simple, but would absolutely turn quite a few heads. She changed into it, then looked at herself in the mirror.   
  
"Damn. That dress looks as if it were made for you." She heard someone say in a rich, powerful voice. Kali turned to see one of Dilandau's Dragon Slayer's standing at the door.   
She blushed, then watched as he walked over to her bed and layed a beautiful sword and an equally beautiful scabbard beside it. He saw her confused face and smirked inwardly. "Gifts from Lord   
Folken. They're almost as beautiful as you are." He said in a slightly seductive voice that had the blush on her face intensifying. "I'm not sure, but..." He turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "I think he has a soft spot for you. And I can't say as I blame him." He said, tossing her a glance over his shoulder, a satisfied grin on his face. Her startled eyes gave him a once over, studying his long, purple-blue hair hanging past his shoulders in a loose ponytail and his blue eyes seemed to be shining like they were showing how much fun he was having teasing her. *I do believe he's flirting with me!* She realized in shock. "My name's Viole, by the way. And, unlike the others, I'll look forward to having you on the team." He opened the door then and walked out, stealing one more glance at her startled form as he walked down the hall.  
  
  
  
  
Viole entered the Dragon Slayer's lounge to find Dalet, Chesta, Gatti, Miguel, and Guimel all sitting around the room. Everyone except for Miguel was sitting in a group, talking about the new Slayer. Miguel was in a corner of the room, meditating or sleeping or something.  
  
"I think it's so unfair that she gets her own room!! Just 'cause she's a female! Why can't she stay in here?!"  
  
"Yeah, you'd just love to watch her as she changes, wouldn't you Dalet?" Viole asked, glaring down at him. This statement caused a blush to rise over Dalet's face. Viole laughed. "I don't blame you, she is rather hot."  
  
"How do you know?! We haven't even seen her yet!!"  
  
"Oh, you know Viole!! He thinks all girls are hot!! Why, if he wasn't related to her, he'd probably date his own mother!!" All the others laughed, but this statement caused Viole to get surprisingly defensive.  
  
"Actually, I know because I just came back from her room. I was giving her the sword Lord Folken said she could have. And as for my mother, it would be hard for me to date her..." He stood and turned to leave. "Because she's six feet underground with my father and sister." He then walked over to where Miguel was sitting and sat down beside him. No one said anything; as Viole was like Miguel and didn't like being around other people often, he had never told anyone about his family, so this was a new piece of information, which caused a wave of guilt to wash over the group.  
  
  
  
Miguel looked up in surprise as Viole sat down beside him with a sigh.   
  
"Something bothering you?" He asked in a soft voice. Viole looked over at the group, then at the cinnamon-eyed youth beside him, and hung his head.   
  
"Just the usual." He muttered. Miguel leaned his head against Viole's shoulder, sighing, causing Viole to laugh silently. *I guess Lord Dilandau's training schedule being stretched out longer has worn Miguel out pretty bad.* He sighed and leaned back against the wall, falling asleep.  
  
  
  
Kali was looking over her sword when she head footsteps walking by her door and looked up to see the Dragon Slayers passing by. Several of them were glancing at her for a split second as they passed her open doorway, and she remembered that these teens probably hadn't shared a building with a female for a long time. *Oh, joy.* She thought bitterly. She placed the sword on the desk, and walked into her bathroom. Kali turned on the tap and let the water pour into her hands, then splashed it over her face. She grabbed a towel and dried her face off, then looked up into the mirror, jumping when she saw Folken standing behind her.   
  
"Lord Folken, what are you doing in here?"   
  
"I wanted to see if you liked your sword." *I'm sure that's all you wanted to see.* She thought bitterly.  
  
"Yes, sir. It's beautiful."   
  
"I thought you'd like it." Kali was about to say something when she felt a strange but familiar sensation run through her entire body. She hung the towel on the rack, then walked around Folken to walk back to her room, but collapsed back against Folken.   
  
"Kali, are you okay?"  
  
"Y-yeah, I'm just a little tired. I don't know why." She was about to stand on her own again when she felt Folken pick her up. This startled her deeply, but she didn't move. She was oddly drained of energy for some reason. After a moment, she relaxed in his hold and closed her eyes. She was asleep in his arms before he even set foot in her room.  
  
Folken layed her down gently, pulling the blankets over her and running his human hand through her hair. As he walked out of the room, he found he couldn't rid the thoughts of her in her mind.   
  
Kali tossed slightly in her sleep, having the same dream that she'd been having for 5 rotations now as the moon slowly rose over the mountains, casting a silver glow over her troubled form.  
  
  
~The~next~morning~  
  
Kali woke up to a bitter taste in her mouth, and was able to detect the sound of running and panic. She got up, not noticing that she was still in her clothes from yesterday, and opened the door to see everyone was running to the mess hall. She joined the crowd and walked into the mess hall to find Dilandau and Folken both talking quietly; Dilandau looked as if he was ready to burst. Kali could see why: 4 men lay in the corner, a sheet over them which was quickly becoming bloody. She looked over to Dilandau again; he seemed extremely angered at the loss of four of his men. "What's going on?" She hissed to the man standing next to her.   
  
"4 of Lord Dilandau's men were killed last night. And not normally. Their bodies were found in the hanger, torn up so badly, that they couldn't tell who any of them are. It's a shock they're still intact." She lifted her hand to cover a yawn, then froze. There was a dark red stain on her palm   
and fingers. She lowered her hand quickly and turned away, walking out of the room as rapidly as   
she could without bringing any attention to her. She didn't notice Dilandau's stare as he watched her leave.  
  
In her bathroom, she found that both her hands had the strange stains on them, and tried to rinse the red mark off, but realized that most of it wouldn't come off. She watched what did come off run down the drain. *What the hell is going on?!* She looked in the mirror, then took a long drink of water to wash the coppery taste out of her mouth. To her horror, the water she spit out was red. She stood there for the longest time, staring at the sink, studying the faint pink mark the water left, then looked in the mirror. She jumped when she saw Dilandau standing behind her and turned to face him. *WHY does everyone DO that?!* Kali moved her stained hand out of view, praying he wouldn't notice.   
  
Dilandau approached her, not saying anything. His hard stare studied every move she made. The way her pupils narrowed to slits, so her eyes seemed to be all gold; how her breath seemed to quicken with every step he took towards her. Her raven-black hair was surprisingly neat, considering she'd just gotten up.   
  
"You left the mess hall rather quickly." He said quietly. "Any particular reason why?"   
  
"I, I couldn't stand the sight of those men under the blanket." She said, not even blinking for fear he'd sense she was lying. He stared at her for the longest time, searching for even a shred of evidence that she was lying. When he wasn't able to find any, he turned away.  
  
"Training starts in half an hour. DON'T be late." She watched him leave then, sighing, stared at her hands. 


	3. Shadowed Hunter

*Angel~In~Disguise~3*  
  
  
  
  
Kali entered the training room, trying to steady her rapid breathing. She looked around the room, watching the other Slayers spar with each other, ignoring the stares she got as she past some of them on her way to where Dilandau was talking with Dalet; they seemed to be arguing about something, and she had a strange feeling she knew what it was.   
  
Dilandau turned, smirking, which gave her the feeeling he'd won the argument.  
  
"Ah, Kali. I see you've managed to find the training room easily."  
  
"Wasn't hard. These so called Slayers battle so noisely that I could hear them from the other side of the Vione." She detected an angry blush rise up over Dalet's face, and grinned evily.  
  
"Dalet, why the hell are you still standing here?! I told you, Kali is your opponent. Get out there!!" Dalet glared at her as they walked over to the middle of the room.  
  
"You'll pay for embarrassing me in front of Lord Dilandau, girl." He hissed as they took their starting positions.  
  
"Yeah? Well, if you fight as well as you complain, you're gonna be a good opponent. Doesn't mean that you'll beat me though." Dalet's eyes flashed, and he attacked her instantly, barely giving her time to react. But that was how she liked it; she thrived on impulses.  
  
Kali blocked three attacks in a row, then took a swing at him. He blocked her blade, but wasn't able to block her fist as it rammed into his waist. Stumbling back slightly, he looked over at Dilandau.   
  
"She's not allowed to that is she?!" Dilandau shrugged.  
  
"Never said it was banned. Uh, Dalet, watch your back." Dalet turned around in time to recieve a powerful punch in the jaw. He held a hand to his mouth, looked up at Kali, then, swearing, tossed his sword across the room and threw a punch at her. She ducked under it, then hit him in the back of the neck with the side of her hand. He fell to his knees, then grabbed her by the calf and tripped her. Turning, she slammed her foot into the side of his head, stunning him, then backflipped to her feet. He looked up at her.   
  
"You b-" Before he could finish, she drop-kicked him in the mouth, shutting him up very quickly.  
  
"You were NOT just about to call me what I think you were." She looked up at the stunned group. "Any other challengers?" Dilandau looked around at the group as well, smirking when no one said anything.  
  
"Looks like I found a perfect recruit." He said smugly. "Even if it is a woman." Kali closed her eyes, blowing out a long breath, then turned to Dilandau.  
  
"You're saying. That 'cause I'm a woman. I can't fight? Is that right?" Several Dragon Slayers backed away from the two of them, but Dilandau didn't move.  
  
"That's right. After all, women are meant to stay at home takin' care of the house and family, while the men battle. You got a problem about that?"  
  
"No, but I got a problem with men like you!!" They both pulled their swords out at the same time and a huge fight began.  
  
Folken entered the room in time to witness Kali dodging Dilandau's blade as he swung at her waist, and their swords connected, sending a shower of sparks everywhere. Folken walked over to the Dragon Slayers, standing beside a stunned Gatti.   
  
"What's going on in here?"  
  
"Lord Dilandau told Kali that he felt women are meant to stay at home takin' care of the house and family, while the men battle, and she wasn't pleased with it." Folken watched as Dilandau managed to knock her sword away and trip her, but before he could pin his sword against her throat, she rolled out of the way, grasped her sword and gained her feet. Dilandau glared at her, gripped his sword tighter, and didn't move as she swung her sword towards him. Sparks rained down around them as they strained against each other, pulled away, and swung their swords at each other's waist. The swords clashed again, sending more sparks into the air, then Kali pushed Dilandau away and glared at him, sword raised, ready for him. Dilandau stood there for a moment, panting, then raised his sword as well. Dilandau and Kali both looked up as Folken cleard his throat rather disapprovingly.  
  
"Are you quite through?" He asked as the two of them both lowered their swords. Kali rolled her eyes and layed her sword across her shoulders and behind her neck, then draped her arms over the blade, glaring at Dilandau.  
  
"Why don't you ask Albino? After all, it's his fault." Dilandau hunched his shoulders at the albino comment, and turned to glare at her.   
  
"You'd better take that back." She laughed.  
  
"And what if I don't?" He threw his sword aside and and slapped her across the face. She stood there, her head turned to the side, then looked at Dilandau. Kali tightened her hand into a fist, then slapped him back with the other hand. She was about to hit Dilandau again when she felt someone holding her back. She twisted in his strong grip, then looked behind her, glaring at Miguel. "Let go of me!!" Miguel just ignored her, watching as Dilandau walked over, glaring at her. She stared him in the eye, gritting her teeth as Miguel tightened his grip in her upper arms, and was shocked when Dilandau didn't slap her. Instead, he told Miguel to, "escort her back to her room. Her training is done for today." Kali fought for a moment, then gave up after a while and let Miguel drag her down the hall to her room. Miguel shoved her in, causing her to stumble. He slammed the door shut, muttering about females.  
  
Kali rubbed her reddening cheek, sighing. "Dilandau is such an jerk." She muttered, laying down on her bed.   
  
*1 hour later*  
  
Kali paced back and forth in her room.  
  
"The nerve of Dilandau. I don't care if he IS the General of the Dragon Slayers! He has NO RIGHT to say that to me." Her tail bristled in anger and she sighed, sitting down on her bed to smooth out the black fur. This helped her calm down and she was able to focus on a different problem. "I can not believe this. After 4 years with no problems, it decides to come back now." She muttered, then glanced out the window to see the sun was setting. "I've been in here that long?!" Kali got up and walked over to the window. She could see the Mystic Moon was starting to glow slightly. "Damn it!!" She glanced around. "Kay. Where's the best place? The hanger is still stained with blood, it'd go crazy. Someone might still be in the training room, and I can't stay here, it'd rip the room apart because of all the red." She sighed. "I'll take my chances with the training room. And if anyone's in there...I'll have to kill them." She opened her door. "Like last time."   
  
Kali managed to get to the training room undetected, and closed the door quietly. Thanking the gods, she walked over to the window, unwrapping her tail from around her waist. The sun finished setting, and the Mystic Moon cast it's glow on her. "Showtime." She muttered as black fur rippled over her.  
  
*3~hours~later*  
  
Dilandau stormed intot he training room, determind to get everything off his mind.  
  
"I can't believe Kali had the guts to-" He was cut off by a growl, and turned to see a sleek black panther coming towards him, growling low. "Shit." He reached for his sword, but this just angered the big cat, and it ran at him. Dilandau pulled his sword out and sliced at the beast, but it slid to a stop, growling loudly now, and lunged at him, pinning him down. "Now I know what happened to my men." He gasped as he held back the snarling creature. He pushed the huge beast off of him, and the panther stood there, growling. "What the hell is going on?!" Then, without warning, the panther walked away into the shadows. Dilandau walked over to where the cat had disappeard, and was startled to find it gone. He shook his head, torn between confusion and relief, then headed back to his own room.  
  
The panther jumped down from it's hiding place on the rafters and followed Dilandau out of the room, stalking it's prey.   
  
Dilandau slid into his bed, sighing, and just layed there, thinking about what had just happened. "How did a panther get onboard undetected?" Shrugging, he tuned onto his back and fell into a light sleep.  
  
*20~minutes~before~dawn*  
  
Dilandau woke up to a heavy weight on his chest, and, swallowing hard, opened his eyes to see a familiar face, and hear a very familiar sound.  
  
The panther growled, and opened its jaws slightly, showing off it's lower teeth. Instinct kicked in instantly, and Dilandau managed to grab his sword after pushing off the beast and got off the bed. The panther came at him and Dilandau instantly swung his sword at it. To his shock, the moment his sword came into contact, the blade snapped off. "Damn it." He hissed, tossing it aside. The panther pushed him down onto the bed, practically grinning, and was about to rip his throat out when it looked out the window.  
Dilandau watched as sunlight hit the beast and it cried out before backing off the bed onto the floor. Sitting up, he watched as more sunlight lit up the entire room, and the creature slowly began to change shape.  
  
Soon, the beast was gone, and a naked Kali was on her hands and knees, holding her forehead with one head, shaking. Dilandau didn't hesitate; he grabbed a blanket and got up, walked over and covered her with it, then picked her up. She didn't even respond.  
  
Dilandau carried her back to her room, laying her on her bed and pulling her blankets over her. Turning to move, he found her clothes in tatters. Picking them up and throwing them out, he glanced at her one more time before leaving.  
  
  
Kali woke up to the feeling of a damp cloth on her forhead. Opening her eyes, she saw Dilandau sitting on a chair, shining his sword and sat up with a groan.  
  
"Please tell me that was all a dream."  
  
"Hardly." He muttered, pulling his chair closer to the bed and studying her. He took ahold of her tail, startling her, and ran his hand over it. "How long?" He asked without looking up at her.   
  
"What?" He looked up at her, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.  
  
"How long have you been able to change like that? As your General, I do have a right to know." She yanked her tail out of his hand again and sighed with defeat.  
  
"It's a genetic curse. My entire family has it. Some find it a gift, but I hate it."  
  
"How does it work?"  
  
"Basically, as you've witnessed, I transform into that panther at night time until the sun comes up whether I like it or not, and I have no control over it. But in the daytime, I can willingly transform whenever I want, and I have complete control then." Dilandau's eyes flickered with excitment, and she felt she knew what he was going to say.  
  
"I think I've found a new war toy."  
  
"What if I don't want to be a war toy?"  
  
"You do realize that I can charge you with attempted assassination?" She held her head in her hands.  
  
"Fine." Dilandau grinned.  
  
"This is going to be fun." 


	4. Nightmares of the Past

~3~days~later~ (night time)  
  
  
Dilandau sat on his horse, overlooking the battlefield. Zaibach was suffering a severe loss, and he was pleased to see the sun was setting. The moment the sun set, he ordered his men to retreat and turned to three of the servents from the Vione who were standing by a rattling crate.   
  
He grinned, then walked his horse away from the box.  
  
"Kay, let her out!" He ordered. The men instantly opened the door to the cage and a huge panther burst out, tearing into the three men. Dilandau blinked in surprise, shaking his head. *Kali told me she couldn't control it, but I wasn't expecting that.* The panther caught the scent of blood on the battlefield and took off down the hill towards it. While the other team was celebrating their so called victory, Kali in her panther form tore down the hill and dived into the crowd, killing men instantly.  
Dilandau watched from on top of the hill, grinning with excitment. *This is exellent! She is the perfect fighting machine!!*   
  
Miguel could see the slightly insane look in Dilandau's eye, and looked down at the battlefield as the panther tore through a large guymelef and dragged the soldier inside of it out then killed him. *Lord Dilandau claims he found this animal, and he can control it, but I have a feeling there's more to it then we know.* Miguel glanced at Dilandau. *What's he hiding?*  
  
In less then half an hour, Kali had killed everyone on the field. Dilandau turned his horse around towards the Vione, then turned in the saddle and looked at his Slayers. "See that she is put back in the cage and returned to the Vione before dawn." He then left the slayers, Miguel still very confused. *Where's that new girl?*  
  
  
~The~next~day~  
  
Dilandau watched as Kali treated a deep cut on her shoulder, the battle still fresh in his mind.  
  
"Folken believes my story of your panther form being an animal I found in the woods and was able to tame it." Kali sighed and wrapped the bandage tighter.  
  
"I don't approve of this, Dilandau."  
  
"So?" He retorted. "If I cared about whether or not people approve of what I do, I wouldn't be General of the Dragon Slayers." This granted him a hard glare from Kali, then she stood and left. Dilandau narrowed his eyes, grabbed his sword and followed her out into the hall.  
  
He entered the hallway in time to se her walk into the training room. Getting angered, he stalked down the hall and slammed open the door. "Kali, if you ever-" He was stopped as he was facing a growling panther. "Ahh, shit. Kali-" The panther snapped it's jaws, and Dilandau shut up instantly.  
  
Without warning, the panther jumped onto him, pinning him down on the floor. For the first time in a very long time, Dilandau actually felt fear, and Kali quickly picked up on it. "Okay, what do you want?" ~*I think you know exactly what I want.*~ Dilandau blinked in shock, and was about to respond when both of them looked over to the door as it opened and Miguel entered.  
  
"I apologize for interrupting, sir bu-" Kali got off Dilandau and stalked towards Miguel. Dilandau got up and grabbed Kali by the scruff of the neck, dragging her backwards.  
  
"Make it quick, Miguel."  
  
"Yes, sir. Lord Folken wishes for you to bring the panther to him, so that he can examine the creature."  
  
"Tell Folken that he has no need to do so, the panther is under my control only, and I'm in charge of it."  
  
"But, sir-" Dilandau promptly stopped Miguel with a hard slap.  
  
"You KNOW I don't like sentences that start with "but", Miguel, now go!" Miguel instantly retreated out the door and Kali looked up at Dilandau. ~*Well, you're real nice.*~ "Shut up." He muttered, dragging her out into the hall. Kali broke out of his grip and stalked down the hall into her own room. Dilandau just shook her head.   
  
After changing, Kali found herself entering the hanger and was walking around, looking at all the guymelefs. She looked out the window in time to see the Vione docking to a larger airship, and could tell by all the other smaller ship that it was a trading center.   
  
Kali jumped when an arm was thrown over her shoulder.   
  
"Ready to go, Kali?" A familiar voice teased, and she turned to see Viole.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, we stop here every month for supplies from the military department, and I figured you were joining us." He pulled his arm off and started to walk away. "But if you'd rather stay here by yourself with the prison guards, I have no problem with that." Kali blinked in surprise, then ran to catch up, laughing when Viole tossed his arm over her shoulders again.  
  
  
  
They spent the entire day there, and Viole never left Kali's side once. He kept his arm around her at all times, and when someone asked if they were a couple, he would respond to that question by dragging Kali's mouth onto his in a kiss that left her weak every time.   
  
Kali was leaning over a jewelery stand while Viole was talking with some of his friends, (his arm still around her waist), when Kali noticed Dilandau walking by stoically, a shorter man following him, practically begging Dilandau about something. She swore she saw tears in the tiny man's eyes. Kali was confused, but could see why the man was upset. Just looking at Dilandau had a feeling of dread in her chest stir up. So she shrugged it off and turned back to the jewels.  
  
  
  
Later that day, when they were back on the Vione, Kali walked into her room to see Dilandau sitting on her bed with battle plans spread out in front of him. He looked up as she closed the door behind her and grinned.  
  
"You have another battle coming up tomorrow, sweetie." He hissed in a voice that made her want to shudder.   
  
"What country am I attacking?" He looked down at the papers.  
  
"Ramada."   
  
"And why would you want me to do that?" He lookeed up at her again, his eyes studying her, then they flicked back down to the bed.  
  
"I have my reasons."  
  
"And what would they be?"  
  
"They would be none of your buisness." He muttered, instantly turning cold.  
  
"Fine." She sighed, walking over to her dresser and pulling her dark brown hair back into a ponytail. Her tail flicked back and forth rapidly, giving Dilandau the idea that she was rather irritated about something. *I don't care what she thinks about me using her for war. She is my Slayer, and I'll use her for whatever I want.* He thought to himself.   
  
Dilandau gathered up all the papers and got off the bed, leaving Kali alone. She sighed and sat down, holding her head in her hands for a moment, then got up and walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed.  
  
  
*** "So this is the scrawny little brat I have to take care of now?" A large man hissed, staring down at the 6 year old girl in front of him. The woman holding onto her shoulder pushed the girl towards the man.   
  
The little girl looked away from the man; he was scaring her.  
  
"She's one of the children that lost their parents in that war."  
  
"So you want me to raise her here?"  
  
"Yes Mavida, I do."  
  
"Fine." He noticed the small fuzzy tail whipping back and forth behind the small child. "She's a-"  
  
"Yes, and I knew you trained them, so I figured you'd want her." Mavida grinned and took hold of the little girl, dragging her into the training building.  
  
  
The little girl looked around the room she was standing in, waiting for the man to speak. But he just stared at her and it was bugging her.  
  
"So Zaibach killed your parents in that fight, but you lived?" She looked over at him, then nodded. "I can give you the chance to avenge them if you'd like that." Her eyes lit up slightly.  
  
"What do I have to do?" She asked in a small voice.  
  
"It's very easy. You train with me to develop your gift." She winced at the mention of what she considered a curse.  
  
"It's not a gift." She said a little more loudly. Mavida looked up sharply.  
  
"The first rule here is to not contradict your commander." He stood and walked over to her, grabbing her by her long brown hair. She cried out from the pain and he slapped her across the face. "Crying is a sign of weakness. I don't care how old you are, you will not be treated like a breakable ornament. Do you understand?" She didn't respond, so he pulled harder on her hair. "Do you understand?!"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Good." He pushed her away, causing her to fall hard.***  
  
  
  
  
Kali sat up quickly, panting. She saw it was still light out and sighed, drying off her sweat covered face with her blanket. "Lord, I don't want to remember that." She muttered, covering her face with her hands. Laying down again, she stared up at the celing. She managed to stay awake for a few more minutes, but the battles had worn her out very badly and her body was screaming for rest. So   
she gave into it and let herself fall asleep.  
  
  
***An 11 year old girl was sitting on the floor in front of a tall woman. The little girl was sitting on the floor, carving a design on the floor in front of her with her dagger. The woman stared down at her in surprise.  
  
"For having her for five years, you haven't changed her very much."  
  
"She's a rude, disobediant little child. It will take her a while to come around." Mavida muttered.  
  
"Well I think I have the perfect motivation for her." The woman dragged a little girl out from behind her.   
  
"Kali!" The little girl cried, causing the one on the floor to look up.  
  
"Aurora?!" Kali got to her feet and started towards her sister, but Mavida grabbed hold of her.  
  
"As long as you do what I say, your sister will be fine." Kali hung her head as she was pushed back down onto the floor. "Find Aurora a room. I feel she will be with us for a while." Kali shut her eyes as she heard her sister screaming her name.  
  
  
Kali looked up as Aurora ran into her room, tackling Kali.  
  
"Kali, I've missed you so much!!" Kali just grinned and held her sister closely, then looked up as Mavida walked in, looking very mad.  
  
"I found the little witch!" He called to someone in the hall. Mavida grabbed hold of Aurora, but the little girl bit his hand. "Why you little-" He pulled back to hit her, but Kali got in the way, making Mavida freeze.  
  
"Leave my sister alone." She said, a hard look in her eye. Mavida stood there for a moment, then turned to the guards that just walked in.   
  
"Take Aurora back to her room." He said quietly, turning back to Kali. "You defended your sister from me. Why did you take such a risk?"  
  
"Because I love my sister."  
  
"Love?! Ha!! You think that love will defend her? It didn't save your parents did it?!" Kali felt tears starting, but didn't let them fall. "You listen to me Kali. All love will do is hurt you in the end. Someone you love today could hate you tomorrow. Love is a weakness, just like fear. Anger is the only emotion that won't betray you."  
  
"I don't care. I love my sister, and nothing you say will change that."  
  
"Fine. You can prove you love her by taking the punishment she would have gotten for breaking free." Kali just stared at him. Grabbing her by the hair, he took the scabbard to his sword and, lifting up the back of her shirt to reveal her back, he began to stike her over and over. Kali just shut her eyes and thanked the Gods her sister wasn't getting this.***  
  
Kali jerked awake, breathing hard, and sat up quickly, jumping when she saw Viole leaning over her.  
  
"Viole!! What are you doing in here?" She asked, hiding her tail.  
  
"Lord Dilandau sent me to get you. He said he wanted to talk to you about some war." Viole looked closer at her and saw she was trembling. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm alright." She said, getting up. The two of them left, and Kali headed on her own to Dilandau's room.   
  
  
  
  
"What is it, Lord Dilandau?"  
  
"About the battle with Ramada."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm delaying it for a few more days, so you can start to train. Ramada's a fairly large country."  
  
"Yes, sir." She turned to leave, but Dilandau stopped her.  
  
"Kali?" She turned back around, holding in an annoyed sigh.  
  
"Yes sir?" An outfit was tossed at her, causing her to stumble back a few steps. Kali looked down at it, then up at Dilandau, confused.  
  
"I got you a uniform that you might find slightly more comfortable." He dismissed her and she left the room, heading back down to her own. 


	5. True Self Discovered

Kali changed into the outfit, then looked at it in the mirror. It was the same design as the regular uniforms, but was looser in the chest (which she thanked the gods for), didn't have the shoulder pads, since she didn't actaully fight in her human form, and was black and white.  
  
Kali pulled off the leather jacket, looking over the shirt and pants that came with it. The entire outfit was leather, and skin tight.   
  
"A man most definately designed this uniform." She muttered, pulling on the jacket again. Thinking back to her dreams, she sighed. "Don't worry, Aurora. I'll complete this mission and keep you safe."   
  
After a while, she left her room and once again began to explore the Vione, still not used to the size. She stumbled across the Vione's stable and looked in to see at least twenty stalls in a row. Letting out a low whistle, she laughed quietly as around nineteen heads came into view and a few horses tossed their head in her direction. Walking down the hall, she stopped to scratch a few behind the ear, and noticed they were all chestnuts. One stall didn't have a horse looking out of it, and she jumped when she heard a shrill whinny. A man practically leapt over the door, stumbling and backing away as a black Freisian rammed into the door, snorting and stamping it's feet meanly.  
  
"Do you always have to do it the hard way?" The man muttered, picking up a bucket and leaving. The horse disappeared from view, then rammed the door again, tossing it's magnificant head angrily. Kali watched the animal, then started towards him. He saw her and stopped, his ears twitching, then whinnied loudly at her and stomped, but she didn't stop. She was soon a few feet away from the door and the horse had his ears pinned back; his eyes had a wild look in them.   
  
"I'll bet you're Dilandau's horse, aren't you?" The horse froze, one ear forward. His entire body was quivering and he snorted. "You're a beautiful horse, and you know it, right?" The horse tossed his head up and down, as if nodding, and she laughed. His long mane had a brush stuck in it, and his long forlock was falling into one eye.   
  
Bending down, she took a handful of oats and stepped forward until she was in front of him. The horse instantly pinned his ears back, but she didn't back away. Instead, she held out her hand, offering him the oats. After a moment, he reached forward and ate them, then stamped his foot and yelled. She grinned and grabbed another handful, then while he was eating, slowly reached up and scratched him behind the ear. The horse completely forgot about the oats and leaned entirely into her hand.  
  
  
Dilandau walked down the ally, looking around for Kali. He heard her voice in the stable, and walked in, then froze when he saw her. She was in the stall of the Freisian, running a brush through his mane and talking to him while he ate oats out of her hand. "You really are spoiled, do you know that, Emisario?" He looked back at her and she laughed. "You are. I'm feeding you and grooming you at the same time." He blew out a breath, then rubbed his head against her. "How could Dilandau use someone as gentle as you as a war horse?"  
  
"Simple. I don't. He's too vicious to be ridden." Dilandau answered, walking down the hall. She looked over at him, surprised that he snuck up on her. Dilandau was used to people scrambling away when they were caught with something of his, so it shocked him when she turned back to the horse and continued to brush him.  
  
"A horse as sweet as Emisario should not be a war horse."  
  
"You think he's sweet?! He's broken at least two parts of every person who's gotten on him, including me." She completely ignored him and shocked Dilandau further when she picked up Emisario's hind foot and started cleaning it. "And I bet you think you can ride him no problem." Kali looked up at him, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.  
  
"Is that a dare?" She dropped the stallion's foot and jumped over the door, hanging the brushes up.  
  
"You seriously think you can?" She stared at Dilandau, grinning.   
  
"Where's his saddle?"  
  
  
  
15 minutes later Dilandau and 14 other slayers were standing in a field, stunned as Kali rode Emisario around the large field, going over jumps and going from a trot to a gallop without Emisario flicking an ear. *What the hell...* Viole thought, watching Kali ride the stallion they all feared as if he were a pony. *This girl just keeps on amazing me.*  
  
  
Kali was enjoying herself very much. Emisario had an amazingly smooth run, and responded to the most subtle command. After a while, she pulled him to a stop in front of Dilandau and jumped down, allowing the horse to scratch his head against her back. "Well?" She asked, grinning at Dilandau. "What did you think?"  
  
"I think I found a new rider for Emisario." Kali laughed and took hold of Emisario's reins, leading him back to the Vione. Viole watched her, then glanced over at Miguel. The soldier had a suspicious look in his eyes. *I think I've figured out Kali's little secret.* Miguel thought, following the others as they left.  
  
  
Kali closed the latch to Emisario's stall and left. She headed down to the room that Dilandau had prepared for her while she was in her panther form. Unfortunately, she ran into Miguel.  
  
"Kali, can I talk to you for a moment?" Kali raised an eyebrow, then sighed.   
  
"Fine, but make it quick. I'm in a hurry." Miguel narrowed his eyes, studying her. She didn't like the feeling at all. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"Kali, I know your secret." Kali's eyes widened, then narrowed.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I know you're an ameryst." Kali practically started growling and she grabbed him by the throat, forcing him against the wall.   
  
"How did you find out?!" She hissed. Miguel smirked.  
  
"It was rather easy to figure out. You're never in wars, and the panther is. The deaths didn't start until you came. You're able to control vicious animals. But this is the biggest giveaway." He gasped, dragging her tail away from her waist. This pushed her over the edge.   
  
Kali pulled away from him, growling loudly as she changed shape into her famous panther form. Miguel swallowed hard and started to back away to the room she was headed for. "Looks like I was right." He muttered, watching Kali carefully she growled, then started towards him, both of them speeding up and running down the hall.   
  
Miguel gasped for breath, running as hard as he could. Kali was quickly catching up. He burst into the room made for her, slamming the door shut, but she smashed it open, sliding to a stop and looking for Miguel. She couldn't stop fast enough and ran into the side of a cage, got up and shook her head. She looked around the room, growling low. ~*Where are you Miguel? I know you're in here.*~ Miguel held his breath. He didn't move from where he was hiding.   
  
He looked down at the field below them as he hung from the balcony. Swallowing hard,   
he looked back up and nearly let go in shock from seeing Kali leaning over, her mouth open to show off her fangs, a growl starting. ~*I found you!*~ Miguel swore as he slipped from the ledge, but Kali's paw swung at his hand and her claws dug into his skin. Miguel hissed in pain, but was thankful as she hauled him over the edge. The feeling left when she pinned him down, her fangs mere inches from his throat.   
  
She snarled at him, then closed her mouth around his neck and just started to dig in, causing Miguel to cry out, when Dilandau slammed the door open.  
  
"Miaka!!" He snapped, causing her to pull away from Miguel, leaving him gasping in pain. She had made four ragged tears in his throat, not deep enough to be lifethreatening, but still stinging and bleeding rather badly. "Damn it, Miaka, look what you did!!" Dilandau went to grab her by the neck, but she snapped at his hand, latching onto it. In one swift tug, she broke his wrist, but he struck her over the head with his sword.   
  
Kali was knocked to the ground as she let go of Dilandau's hand. Knowing she was going to change shape, he pulled off his jacket and threw it over her, then walked over to Miguel. He was gasping for breath, gripping his throat tightly. Dilandau pulled his hand away for a moment, then covered his neck as it started to bleed quickly. He helped him up and led him out of the room, glancing at Kali as she'd changed back to human and was gripping her forhead.   
  
After he'd dropped off Miguel, he walked back to Kali's room to find her still on her knees, shaking.   
  
"I'm sick of this." She said quietly, not realizing he was there. "I can't stand it any more. This, thing, it wants to destroy everyone I know. It even attacked my sister." She froze. "My sister. Aurora. She's still depending on my to finish. I can't let Mavida hurt her." She looked up as she heard Dilandau.  
  
"Kali-"  
  
"Dilandau, I can't fight as the panther anymore. I, I don't trust this other form of myself." He stared down at her, watching her pull his jacket closer, as if it would protect her. His heart seemed to cave slightly and he bent down, picking her up. She was shaking, and a tear was sliding down her face. Her tail curved around his broken wrist tightly as he carried her to her bedroom. 


	6. Captured By Guilt

~~~~A 13 year old Kali was battling a 27 year old man, and was winning. She managed to trip him and drove her sword into his chest, a cold look on her face. Mavida clapped, grinning. "Very good Kali, you're learning very quickly." She didn't say anything; she just stood there, staring at Mavida as some strange people began to talk about her fight.   
"It's amazing. A 13 year old able to kill a grown man. Not to mention the fact that she's an ameryst." Mavida placed a hand on Kali's shoulder, but she looked away.   
"My parents would not be pleased about what I'm doing." She said quietly.   
"Your parents?" Mavida laughed. "My dear, your parents could care less about you. Why else would they have left you?"   
"They didn't leave me. They died."   
"No Kali, they left you. Left you and your sister behind like you meant nothing. Because you didn't mean anything. Not to them. But I can give you a better life then that. As a fighter, you'll learn that you don't need anyone but yourself. But if you're going to become an excellent fighter, you need to forget about emotions like sadness and pity. Focus only on being the best, and you'll never fail."~~~~  
  
  
  
Kali shot up, gasping for breath. She held her head tightly, swearing.   
  
"Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Not again. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God." She jumped as someone placed a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Viole.  
  
"Kali, what's wrong?"  
  
"It's nothing."  
  
"I don't believe that for a moment. When someone wakes up covered in sweat and in tears, swearing, then something is definately wrong." He leaned closer. "What is it?" She looked up suddenly, glaring at him, tears gone.  
  
"When I say it's nothing, then it's nothing!! You think that by telling you, it's going to fix everything?!"  
  
"Well, no, but maybe you could get rid of some pain if you shared-"  
  
"Get rid of some pain?!! I'm supposed to get rid of 10 years of pain just by telling you about some dream?! About how, my entire childhood was deticated to training me to kill!? About how ever since I was 6, I've been modified into an emotionless tool of war?! I don't think so!!" Viole was shocked.  
  
"Kali....I..."  
  
"Look, my life has been deticated to training me not to experience these emotions, and now that I'm feeling them at last....it's.....just leave me alone."  
  
"Kali-"  
  
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Viole jumped, not from the shout, but from his now stinging cheek from where she'd slapped him. Kali pressed her hand to her chest, directly over her heart, and turned away. Taking the hint, Viole walked past her and left the room, closing the door quietly. Kali dropped to her knees, a torrent of tears wanting to come crashing through. She held them back, refusing to show any more signs of weakness.  
  
She got to her feet, then jumped as her window was shattered. When the rain of glass died down, she looked over at the ledge, and growled when she saw a man standing there. "Siam. What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"Lord Mavida has requested that you come back to the training house. You're done here. His instructions were that you were to kill Dilandau Albatou, not kill FOR him."  
  
"I'm not done. I'm trying to win his trust over, it's the best way to-" He held up a hand, his green eyes cold, and she stopped.  
  
"Mavida's exact words were that if you try to talk your way into getting some more time, I was to throw you over my shoulder and carry you back." She swallowed hard.  
  
"Siam, if I go back, that means I failed. I can't fail; he'll kill my sister if I do." Siam didn't say anything, he only leaned out the window and whistled loudly, calling a dark blue dragon to the side of the ledge.  
  
"Kali, your time is up. I'm sorry about your sister, but Mavida-"  
  
"I don't care!! I'm staying here and finishing what I started!!!" Siam only sighed and stepped forward, grabbing Kali around the waist. "Siam! Let me go!!" She struggled in his grasp, then managed to get ahold of her sword and pulled it out of it's scabbard, ramming it into his arm. He yelled and let go of her, gripping his wound. She faced him, sword pointed at him. To her shock, he pulled out a sword as well and swung it at hers. She blocked the blade, and stared at her sword in horror as her own blade snapped in half. Kali then jumped as she felt a hand circle her neck.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kali." He whispered before hitting something in her neck and knocking her out. He then got onto the waiting dragon and they flew north.   
  
  
  
Dilandau winced as the nurse set his wrist back into place as well as possible and started to put a cast on it. Sighing, he looked out the window and leaned his chin on his free hand, growing bored.  
  
Around 15 minutes later, he was released from the infirmary, frowning at the cast on his wrist, and walked down the hall to his room, planning on opening a new bottle of vino.  
  
He poured the wine into his glass and picked it up, but didn't drink from it immediantly. Instead, he stared down into it, studying the wine as he thought. *Kali's getting out of hand. She's going to have to learn that she's under my command.* Drinking the entire glass in one swallow, he refilled it, then sneered at it and took a long drink from the bottle, leaving the forgotten glass on the desk.  
  
  
  
Kali kneeled before Mavida, staring down at the ground.  
  
"I'm disappointed in you Kali. After 7 years of perfect assassinations, you mess up the one that matters most." He said in a quiet voice. She closed her eyes, holding back the tears. "As the terms apply, if you failed a task, I was to kill your sister."  
  
Hearing Mavida snap his fingers, she fought every instinct to look up as she heard a small voice yelling at someone. Soon the voice got louder, and started yelling her name. This time, she did lift her head, and saw her little sister struggling in the grip of a soldier. Kali watched, fear gripping her, as Aurora was carried over to where Mavida sat.   
  
Mavida picked her up, standing, and gripped the young girl's hair, pulling her head back to rest on his shoulder. Kali stood, starting forward.  
  
"Mavida let her go!" She was stopped by two guards holding her back by the arms, and strained to get away from them as Mavida glared down at her.   
  
"We had a deal, Kali." He hissed, venom filling his cold eyes. "You complete any task I give you, ON TIME, then your sister stays safe. You've run out of time." He pulled back harder on the young girl's hair, causing Aurora to start to cry.  
  
"Kali!" The little girl sobbed.  
  
"Mavida!!" Kali yelled, straining to get away from the guards. She twisted in their grip, her silver eyes flaring with anger and fear. "You let her go right now!!"  
  
"Say good bye to big sister, sweetie." Mavida hissed in her ear, a sadistic grin on his face.  
  
"MAVIDA!!!!!" Kali screamed, pulling forward several feet and almost pulling her arms out of the sockets as Mavida yanked back on the little girl's head, snapping her neck. Tears poured down Kali's face as Mavida handed the limp form of her sister to a guard and she fell to her knees, pounding the floor over and over as sobs exploded from her chest.   
  
She felt someone grab her arms and was hauled to her feet again. Glaring at Mavida, she managed to push the guards off, but barely got 3 feet ahead before the other guards swarmed her, hauling her down to one knee as Mavida got up and walked over to her.   
  
"Kali, I'm ashamed of you; 9 years of training, down the drain. Why? What happened in the Vione that prevented you from killing Dilandau Albatou?"  
  
"You know what it was?! He treated me like a real human!! Not like some tool for war! He may have used the panther form like a war weapon, but at least he acknowledged me being more then a simple fighting tool!!" She snapped at him, glaring up at the man. His reaction to this was to slap her across the face, knocking her to her side.  
  
"But you're not human, Kali. You're more of a demon then the Draconians are." Kali took a shuddering breath and leaned her forehead down against the floor, not wanting to look Mavida in the face. "Take her down to the dungeon. And do something with that body." Kali felt the guards stand her up, and fought them all the way down to the dungeon.  
  
  
  
Viole walked into Kali's room, looking around in shock at the trashed interior.  
  
"What the hell happened here?" He walked around the room, finding her sword broken. Picking up the pieces, Viole closed his eyes to hold in the tears. He then left the room and ran straight into Miguel. "Miguel, I need you help. Kali's been kidnapped or something and-"  
  
"Miguel, it's better that she's gone." He said quietly.  
  
"What?! Why?"   
  
"You mean Lord Dilandau didn't tell you?" He could tell by the confusion in his eyes that he didn't and let out a sigh. Hating the fact that he was about to bring his best friend's world crashing down, he looked down at Kali's sword.  
  
"Viole, Kali's an ameryst."  
  
  
  
Kali hissed at the guards as they locked her wrists into place above her head, growling as they walked away. She yanked at the shackles repeatedly, cursing, then gave up, leaning her head back against the wall, closing her eyes as sobs started to come out.  
  
"Oh, god, Aurora, I'm so sorry." She didn't try to stop her sobs, not caring what anyone thought if they saw her.  
  
After around half an hour, Kali was staring up at the celing, tears drying on her face. She ignored the sound coming from the other prisoners, the smell of the rotting dungeon, and the plate of gross food one of the guards had shoved in. She sighed and her eyes slid shut, another tear slipping out of her eye as images of Mavida snapping her sister's neck flashed across her mind.  
  
Hearing keys ringing, she opened her eyes and looked over at the bars to see a guard walking in. He approached her cautiously and knelt beside her, settinig the tray of food beside her.   
  
"Miss, you really should eat." She just looked away, closing her eyes. The man sighed. "Look, miss. Master Mavida is not going to just let you rot down 'ere. There is a good chance 'e'll call on you quite oft'n, so you'll need to keep your strength up." Kali still didn't look at him. He picked at the food, then smiled weakly. "Will you eat if I c'n get you some more appetizing food?" She looked up at him, suspicion in her eyes.  
  
"Why are you trying to help me?" She asked in a hoarse voice.  
  
"Not ev'ryone in 'ere is a jerk." He said gently. A cold look came over her.  
  
"That's not what my past experiances have shown me." She muttered, pushing the plate away with her foot. "I'm not hungry." The guard sighed and stood up, taking the plate as he left, locking the door behind him. Kali swore in frustration, jerking her wrists hard, trying in vain once more to free them. Ceasing only when her wrists were burning, she sagged against the wall, giving up. 


End file.
